


Avengers

by navaan



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: 10 Years of Steve/Tony, Avengers Vol. 1 (1963), Ficlet, Friendship/Love, Identity Porn, M/M, Pining, Pining Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 04:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10297613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: Another brush with the Squadron Supreme makes Steve realize he wants to be on the Avengers again with Iron Man





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ten Years of Steve/Tony Ficlet project and representing the late 70s among the 616 eras. This is based in part on Avengers #148-#151 (1976) although it doesn’t really slot in there.
> 
> Thank you [Amonae](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonae) for the quick beta.

“I really have no idea how we always end up fighting and then working with the Squadders,” Clint grumbled. “Living in different universes should really be enough to keep them away from us.”

“Come on, Goliath, working with them is much better than having to punch your way through them.”

“I don’t know, Shellhead,” Clint returned. “They think they are better than we are.”

“They are not,” Steve said tightly and looked from Iron Man to Goliath and then over to Thor, Wanda and Vision and the rest of the Avengers. “And they never will be. We’re Avengers.”

“Aye,” Thor said and clapped him on the shoulder.

From across the room Dr. Spectrum and Hyperion were watching them warily, the rest of the Squadron Supreme standing behind them like they were still ready to strike out.

“Alright,” Iron Man said. “We all want to get back to our respective world. So let’s get to it.”

Cap watched him take charge, watched him and Vision explore the tech their alien abductors had left behind, watched Spectrum and some of the other Squadron members slowly approach. Sometimes temporary truces were necessary, but with the Squadron Supreme Steve always felt a bit uneasy. After all it was rarely one of his friends who threw the first punch. Some of the animosity was just unpleasant.

He kept back and out of the way when his more technically apt friends were at work, then he noticed Cap’n Hawk talking to Iron Man and watched them with a frown. He often felt uncomfortable around the former American Eagle. Perhaps it was childish, but seeing another hero with a red white and blue colored costume and a shield soar through the sky had simply made himself wonder how many more strange mirror images of himself were out there. 

“So how does it work?” the man was asking of Iron Man.

Iron Man chuckled and even with the armor it was a warm and friendly sound that brought a smile to Steve’s face, even when the sound wasn’t meant for him. “Sorry, Mr. Stark does not employ me to give away his trade secrets.”

“You must be a good enough engineer to know how it works.”

“Why the interest?”

“I like things that fly.”

Steve gritted his teeth and forced himself not to walk right over and interrupt. He had a feeling that Cap’n Hawk was not interested in the _armor_ but the pilot. Trying very hard not to show his unhappiness he folded the arms in front of his chest and listened grudgingly to the conversation as it turned to airplanes and the mechanics of winged and unwinged flight suits.

“Could we hurry this up a bit,” Goliath asked and Steve had never been more thankful for Clint and his impatience.

* * *

Nothing made him happier than reappearing inside Avengers Mansion in a flash. “Good to be home,” he said and sighed. Janet and Hank were suited up and standing in the room, smiles on their faces, now that their team mates had returned. Jan pressed a kiss on Steve’s cheek and then hugged Wanda.

Clint sized down and cheered, running for the kitchen immediately. “Team dinner! Jarvis here I come!”

“For once our valiant friend has the right idea,” Thor said and nodded, following at a more sedate pace. 

Steve looked over at his friend, the tension and irritation leaving him. “What about you, Iron Man? Does Tony need you tonight?”

The armor grew still as Iron Man hesitated. “What about you? You have been off dealing with your own problems so often, it’s become rare to see you around the mansion.”

He knew it was true. “That’s fair,” he said. “But this is my home more than any other place. I’ll always be drawn back here, always come home.” _To you_ , he thought. “The Avengers are my family, Shellhead. Wherever I am, I’ll always be an Avenger. You taught me that.”

The man inside the armor huffed. “I thought it was you who taught me,” he said. “Forever Avengers.”

His heart unclenched. He laughed. “Forever side by side,” he agreed. He wanted to be with the team more often again. Especially with Iron Man here, he felt like it was where he belonged.


End file.
